TROY, Ohio. June 16, 2011 – Hobart Brothers Company and ITW Food Equipment Group have each donated $10,000 to the Overfield Early Childhood Program to support the school’s Annual Fund. The fund helps supplement tuition costs, as well as assist with operational and restoration activities. The combined $20,000 donation commemorates the school’s 50^th anniversary.

Overfield Early Childhood Program is a nationally accredited, independent, nonprofit school based in Troy, Ohio that serves preschool through kindergarten-aged children from communities as far north as Wapakoneta and as far south as Centerville, including Vandalia, Tipp City, Sidney, Piqua, Bethel, Bradford, Ludlow Falls, Dayton and Kettering. Julia Hobart, wife of former Hobart Brothers Company President William Hobart, founded the school in 1960. The program is currently housed in the former home of William’s aunt and uncle, Edward and Martha Hobart.

Overfield Early Childhood Program operates on the mission of fostering children’s growth in five developmental areas: creative, social, emotional, physical and cognitive, and has been widely attended by children of employees at both Hobart Brothers Company and ITW Food Equipment Group. Learning at the school focuses heavily on project-oriented curriculum, as well as problem solving, social interaction and collaboration.

“We are proud to be able to contribute to such a meaningful program,” says Sundaram Nagarajan, executive vice president of Illinois Tool Works, parent company of Hobart Brothers Company and ITW Food Equipment Group. “Overfield is not just part of the Hobart family heritage, but it is also a unique asset to our local communities and the children in them.”

Hobart Brothers is dedicated to the highest level of Performance Welding^™. For product specification sheets or to learn more about Hobart Brothers products, visit Hobartbrothers.com, call 1-800-424-1543, fax 1-800-541-6607, or write Hobart Brothers Company, 101 Trade Square East, Troy, OH 45373.

Hobart Brothers Company of Troy, Ohio, is a leading manufacturer of welding filler metals marketed under the brand names Hobart, Tri-Mark, McKay and Corex. Hobart Brothers Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works, Inc. Based in Glenview, Ill., ITW is a multinational manufacturer of a diversified range of value-adding and short-lead-time industrial products and equipment.
ITW Food Equipment Group (formerly Hobart Food Equipment Group) is the world leader in commercial food equipment and service for the foodservice and grocery industries. An ENERGY STAR^® Sustained Excellence award winner in 2010 and 2011 and ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year since 2008, ITW Food Group manufactures products for ware washing and waste handling; food preparation; Baxter bakery; cooking; weighing, wrapping and labeling systems; and Traulsen refrigeration. ITW Food Equipment Group equipment is supported by a national network of factory-trained service representatives in hundreds of locations across the United States.

To learn more about ITW Food Equipment Group, visit www.hobartcorp.com, connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HobartFillerMetals or follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HobartFM.